Saturday Night Live Recap: Martin Short Brings A Near-Dozen Plus Ones

As a longtime SNL enthusiast, I must say this week’s episode was nothing short of delightful! The return of Sábado Gigante was particularly thrilling, transporting me back to my youth when I would gather around the television with my family, eagerly anticipating Don Francisco’s antics.

Last night’s Christmas special aired concurrently with Martin Short being inducted into the Five-Timers Club on Saturday Night Live. Short was a cast member during the Ebersol era, and his last hosting stint was in 2022 alongside comedy partner Steve Martin. During their appearance on Only Murders in the Building, Selena Gomez made a guest appearance. Who showed up this time? Was it Selena Gomez again? Or perhaps Meryl Streep? No, neither of them, but almost everyone else? Yes, they were all present.

The show started off with a majestic Tom Hanks comfortably seated in a chair, following tradition by introducing a fresh induction. Joining our host was a group of five-time guests: Paul Rudd, Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin (apparently contracted), Kristen Wiig (I truly miss her), John Mulaney, Scarlett Johansson, Melissa McCarthy, Emma Stone, and Jimmy Fallon (who was also part of the monologue, appearing less lifeless than normal after a kiss from Short). Steve Martin was unavailable, with Short explaining that “He would have been here tonight, but he had a disagreement about him being here.” No worries. Short managed quite well without him. The monologue also featured a song – a tribute to the cold open about holiday anxiety during his previous hosting stint – discussing self-medication for holiday stress (but no mention of the Sacklers, of course).

As a fan, I must say that the star-studded guest appearances in this episode truly shone, particularly the sketches featuring Melissa McCarthy, Paul Rudd, Kristen Wiig, and even Scarlett Johansson backstage. It felt like Short had stacked the deck with top talent and then took a slightly more background role for the rest of the show. With the additional charm of Weekend Update, it seemed as though Short was vying to be the main attraction. Yet, despite this, the episode was undeniably strong, filled with witty dialogue and enjoyable physical humor – a fantastic Christmas special indeed!

Here are some highlights:

Martin Short Five-Timers Club Cold Open

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=KnaES8YItiA

Instead of giving a “discounted ratings boost” to fit around a dozen repeat guests in the opening scene, perhaps. However, it’s approaching the end of the year, and I’m feeling exhausted. If having famous faces flash across my screen is similar to rattling keys before a baby, then by all means, let me burp. (I apologize for that.) But to quote one of Short’s lines, I truly enjoyed almost everyone who appeared. I missed Kristen Wiig immensely, who performed onscreen while brushing her teeth, haunted by the regrets of last Christmas (specifically Martin Short and Emma Stone). Melissa McCarthy was flawless, as ever. And the self-deprecating humor added a sharp edge that prevented it from feeling too contrived, for example John Mulaney joking about his unsuccessful sitcom — “It wasn’t good and no one enjoyed it” — and Jimmy Fallon making fun of himself for laughing at his own jokes.

Parking Lot Altercation

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=fFrcTZv5Ivg

In a heated argument over a parking space, a father (Mikey Day) and his teenage daughter (Chloe Fineman) are locked in a noisy dispute with an intimidating middle-aged man (Short). Their words are accompanied by exaggerated hand movements, such as Short portraying being “super Christian” by posing like he’s on the cross. The humor is enhanced by Fineman’s character making her father uncomfortable with suggestive gestures. Melissa McCarthy makes a grand entrance at the end, stealing the limelight as Short’s wife, displaying uncontainable suburban fervor to defend her husband. Her rapid escalation of actions adds excitement to the scene, making it a strong contender for the Christmas tradition list.

Christmas Airport Parade

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=ytlRSkSM3Js

In this sketch, Bowen Yang and Ego Nwodim play multiple airport TSA agents, providing a humorous setting filled with amusing, detailed jokes. Short, portrayed by Mikey Day, serves effectively as the strict, upscale Delta Lounge gatekeeper. Notable cameos were made by Melissa McCarthy, Tom Hanks, and Kristen Wiig. Their characters meshed well with those of the current cast, such as melancholic spa workers and Kenan Thompson’s coin-operated TSA agent who repeatedly says “bag in a bin.

Weekend Update

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=UybElQxbPNg

I know about roast beef! But roast beef is overshadowing Bowen’s cunty, Jersey-defending drone character. “Wow, indoors … this is different” really tickled me. He concluded with a parody rendition of “Defying Gravity” because the Wicked grind never stops. And that annual joke swap, where Jost and Che write outrageous (anti-)jokes for each other to read for the first time on air, is making the rounds online, as is ScarJo’s unbleeped reaction backstage (“Oh, my God, holy shit”). Agree! Brutal. A hot person doing the charity work of marrying a comedian, and this is what she gets in return? I did enjoy seeing both Jost and Che so deeply in pain reading the jokes out loud. I recently texted my friend, “Colin Jost is growing on me. I’m gonna kms” — I think it’s his palpable shame. He’s very succinctly Irish Catholic, and it’s one of the things that makes the joke swap work.

Sábado Gigante Christmas Special

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=5U6eIZx8Nwk

I’m really thrilled that they revived this show. The dynamic between Marcello Hernandez’s assertive and energetic Don Francisco and Paul Rudd’s hapless character is quite captivating. Moreover, Hernandez, Ashley Padilla, and Chloe Fineman deliver exceptional facial expressions, and to top it off, Dana Carvey makes a surprise appearance. Unfortunately, Martin Short isn’t in this episode, but maybe he’ll take on the role of the Hapless White Guy when he hosts again next time.

Cut For Time

• Martin Short’s Baby Toss™ in the monologue. Freewheeling fun!

In Tina Fey’s interrogation, she challenges Short to identify three present cast members as a condition for the Five-Timer’s Club eligibility. “I’m clueless,” Short replies. Fey affirms, “Bravo! That was the entire challenge.

I’d love to watch much more of the hilarious sketch featuring Kristen Wiig as the woman who accidentally sat on a motorized suitcase at the airport, let’s take her character out for a night on the town!

Immediately after splashing water at Paul Rudd, I quipped, “Sexiest man alive, you say? I guess that means Tim Allen’s no longer among us?

• Alec Baldwin’s secret in the cold open being that he has too many kids…

• The Weekend Update monologue joke about Diddy, Donald Trump, and Elon Musk hosting SNL next year—the guilt from the 2016 season has turned into an avenue for self-deprecating humor about the show, and it’s fun. However, I could have lived without the Diddy/Luigi rape joke.

I’m as enthusiastic about the crowd roaring for Luigi Mangione as if I were one of the excited guests at Saturday Night Live (SNL), and I can see the bewildered amusement of Colin Jost at this reaction. “Oh, absolutely ‘woo’,” he sighed sarcastically. Indeed, we are all expressing our admiration! Either send Luigi a Christmas card with your number included, like many others do, or don’t!

2024-12-22 22:54